Remnants
by The Rose Warrior
Summary: Shuichi Shindou finds himself in a hospital and discovers that he's suffering from amnesia. In addition, he finds out that he's currently apart of a famous band. How will he cope with all the challenges and drama that comes with it? Eventual RyuShu.
1. Amnesia

Shuichi wakes up and his head is throbbing, horribly so, worse than a hangover. He opens his eyes, squinting as the bright light obscures his vision. Once he can see, he notes that the white room aided in making the light brighter. He groans, putting an arm over his forehead. Damn this pounding headache. Damn this room.

_A hospital room_, he's able to identify.

Honestly, he doesn't care how he got here. He just wants to sink back into oblivion. Staying awake isn't exactly the most pleasant state for him to be in right now. And besides that, he doesn't want to think about the hell he's going to get from his sister for not being there at the lousy prom, that her pansy of a boyfriend/student body president had so meticulously arranged, playing covers of songs by popular J-Pop bands such as TM Revolution, Ayumi Hamasaki, and last and certainly not least Nittle Grasper.

Shit.

Oh well, at least the thought of the infamous Ryuichi Sakuma comforts him. Shuichi smiles as he reminisces about the Nittle Grasper concerts that he so religiously taped ever since he was a tween. He's watched them so many times that he has every detail about every one of them memorized. Like how Ryuichi ascended from below the stage, like a god who had emerged from a battle with the devil, a loose fitting red and black stripped and sleeveless turtleneck hugging his upper body, black jeans ripped, and red boots worn. He held the microphone up above his head in a smug, and relaxed silence of victory, eyes closed. The music started and as soon as it did, the camera directed at one of the flat-screen TVs showed Ryuichi opening his eyes, the amethyst stare sending chills throughout Shuichi's body, even at the memory of it. Damn, that concert in Nagasaki had been one of the best. Too bad distance – as well as school, but mostly distance – kept Shuichi from attending any of Nittle Grasper's concerts. He would've killed to meet his hero in person.

Suddenly, he hears the turning of a knob, and the door sliding open. Shuichi removes the arm from his face and opens his eyes, adjusting to the glare of the light quicker than before, to see that a doctor has entered the room, adorned in midnight blue scrubs and a white lab coat with a nametag that reads Dr. Masakazu. Shuichi notices that he's not built for a fight, being that he has no muscle definition whatsoever, but he has a presence about him that's paternal. Shuichi senses it in the way that he smiles so genuinely, a smile that reminds of his own father, who's about the only one in his immediate family that believes his music will truly inspire people.

"Oh, I see that you're awake." Dr. Masakazu says, ambling to Shuichi's bedside. He brushes a few strands of black hair from his face and Shuichi sees the weary movement of his hand when he does so and sees him stifle a yawn. Shuichi really feels for the guy. Judging by those heavy bags under his brown eyes, the poor doctor has been pulling over time. "How are you feeling?"

Shuichi groans, stroking his forehead. "My head feels like it's about to split open."

"Oh, my. Would you like some painkillers?"

"Yes. Please."

"I'll give you some, but I'd like to ask you some questions first."

"OK."

"Do you remember your name?" Dr. Masakazu asks, gently, all the while checking Shuichi's retinas with a miniature flashlight.

"Yes, it's Shuichi Shindou."

"Excellent." He finishes examining Shuichi's eyes, and tucks the flashlight into his lab coat pocket. "Now, think back a little for me, ok? Do you recall how you got here?"

Shuichi ponders it over for a moment. "No, the last thing I remember was being in detention for back-talking to some teacher…think it was my math teacher Mr. Handa. Called me stupid in the middle of class so I gave him a verbal smacking about his recent divorce. Not a good idea. Now I have to stay after school for a whole week."

Dr. Masakazu gives him a funny look. Shuichi grimaces, mentally scolding himself for being so TMI. "What year is it?" He asks, sounding very grave all of a sudden.

"1999." Shuichi blinks.

His doctor sighs and says. "Mr. Shindou, I'm afraid that you're suffering from amnesia."

Shuichi can't believe this. According to his neurologist, it's 2002. Three years later, which means that he's graduated already, unless he got held back for his less than remarkable grades. Man, that would suck, being a 21 year old that's still a senior in high school. Kids would make fun of him and he had been made fun of enough already.

Unfortunately, that's all Dr. Masakazu told him.

"It'd be best if you took every part of your life now in increments. That way, you won't be too overwhelmed."

In retrospect, Shuichi supposes that he was right. Dr. Masakazu was the doctor, after all, and he should take the neurologist's word for it, but in all honesty, being kept in the dark about his own life has proved to be irritating. On the other hand, it could be as that saying goes: Ignorance is bliss.

_God_, he thinks. _Please make it so I wasn't held back and that by some miracle, I graduated. I've had it with school._

A knock on the door snaps him out of his thoughts. "Hey there, man." Hiroshi enters the room, taking a seat on the wooden chair with maroon padding beside his bed. "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty good, I guess, with all things considered. Though, I can do without the headache." Shuichi smiles, weakly.

Hiroshi takes Shuichi's hand with both of his. His palms are warm and a bit on the sweaty side. "You had me real worried. When I saw you on the bathroom floor," He tightens his grip.

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Just…be more careful when you're getting out of the shower next time, ok?"

"I will." Shuichi says, trying to remember the incident Hiro is talking about, but he can't remember a single thing about it. His memory only runs as far as his first two high school years. "Say, Hiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are we now?"

Hiroshi takes a deep breath, staring down at their intertwined hands. Then he shakes his head. "Shuichi, I don't think I should…I mean, the doctor said…"

"Please, Hiro, don't you go all sympathetic on me too. I know Dr. Masakazu means well, but I can't stand being in suspense any longer about my own life." Shuichi replies, exasperated. Ever since he woke up a few hours earlier, he's been running a bunch of scenarios through his head, most being those he dreaded the most, one being what he hoped for the most.

"Ok, well, let's start from the beginning." Hiro starts.

* * *

No matter how much he tries, Eiri can't get back to work. He can't find it in himself to ignore the situation at hand. Shuichi has been hospitalized. Hiroshi called to tell him hours ago, and he's been conflicted about going to the hospital ever since.

He leans back, causing his chair to squeak, and closes his eyes. Eiri refuses to visit Shuichi. He doesn't want to be with him any longer. It's for Shuichi's good. Eiri's too fucked up. He can't be the man that Shuichi wants him to be.

Eiri groans. Damn it. He needs a cigarette.

So he shuts off his laptop, gets his cigarettes off the kitchen counter along with his lighter, and heads to the balcony. A rush of air cools his heated skin once he slides open the door. Then the balcony is illuminated by light, and Eiri moves to light his cigarette over the balcony railing that overlooks the streets as well as other condominiums and street lights.

Eiri inhales and exhales the smoke, allowing the nicotine to calm his frenzied nerves. _That idiot is fine_, he thinks. _So stop worrying about him already._

He spends more time on the balcony, drowning himself in the black sky, emptying his mind. That is, until the phone rings. At first, Eiri thinks it best not to answer. The call could be from Touma and he was the last person Eiri wanted to talk to. Then he figures it might be Hiro, calling to report Shuichi's condition.

Reluctantly, Eiri goes back inside, and stands over the phone, awaiting the message. "Please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as possible," drones Eiri's recorded voice. Then a loud beep goes off.

"Hello, it's Hiroshi Nakano. Just calling to tell you that…I want you to stay away from Shuichi. He doesn't remember you and I'd like for it to stay that way." He hangs up, as angrily as he sounded during the message.

Eiri lets out a weak laugh, squishing his cigarette in the ashtray in his study. "So that's it, huh? It's over." He says out loud, feeling no sense of loss.

It's better this way. For the both of them.

* * *

Hiroshi closes his flip phone, scowling. He knew that asshole wouldn't pick up. Mr. Yuki was always inconsiderate whenever it came to Shuichi. Always so damn self-centered too. What the hell made him think that Mr. Yuki would care?

He huffs and dials Ayaka's cell. It doesn't take her long to pick up. "Mr. Nakano, hi, how's he doing?" She asks, concerned. Hiro winces. They've been going out for four months and ten days now and she still insists on being so formal with him.

Hiroshi feels a sickening tightness in his chest. He has to wonder if he was making any progress with her at all. It's hard to tell, especially with all of the miles between them.

"He's doing all right, coping with the shock."

"About what?"

"He has amnesia, Ayaka, retrograde amnesia." Hiroshi answers, knowing that Ayaka will understand the term. She is studying nursing, after all.

"Oh my gosh. That's awful."

"Yeah, but at least one good thing came out of it."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

Shit. He really shouldn't have brought that up. Hiroshi is really against bringing up any mention, big or small, about Eiri Yuki. He's unsure whether or not Ayaka still has feelings for the man, and he hasn't been too eager to figure out, in fear that she still did love him.

"No, forget I even said that. It was a stupid thing to say." Hiroshi rubs at his hair, feeling like a moron.

There's a short, awkward pause, and Hiroshi hates how these seconds feel like minutes. Usually, when they talk, these silences aren't plentiful, and their conversations flow like a river, continuous and uninterrupted.

"Are you ok?" Ayaka asks, finally ending the horrid pause.

Hiroshi's initial thought is to lie and say that yes, he's ok. Shuichi should be the center of worry, not him, but that'd be mean. He doesn't want to give her any grief about her feelings, and say something that he'll regret. Besides, they've always been honest with one another. He didn't want to end that streak now.

"No, I'm not ok."

"It's all right if you don't want to tell me what's troubling you, but I'd like very much to know. Perhaps I can be of some comfort to you."

Her voice is so soft and kind. He sighs out a smile. Hiroshi didn't think it to be possible, but he's even more in love with her than he was yesterday. _Such a sweet and sour love_, he thinks.

"I just really miss talking to you in person." Hiroshi murmurs, his whole body beating like a giant heart. It's been a week since he saw her last at a concert Bad Luck had in Kyoto, and he noticed that he never played his guitar as passionately as he did whenever she was in the audience. Then she met him backstage, congratulating him on his stellar performance, and caught up with him in his dressing room.

His face gets hot once he recalls what Shuichi asked him later that night in their hotel room. "You two got it on, didn't you?"

To Hiro's dismay, he didn't even get so much as a hug, and that really stung. While it was nice to see her, he wanted to share some affectionate touches, not at all what Shuichi had implied, but at least an embrace. Is that really too much to ask for to hold the girl he loves so dearly close and run his hands through her smooth-looking hazel hair?

"The feeling is mutual. It's always nice seeing you, Mr. Nakano."

"Likewise, Ayaka."

He's positive he can hear her smile. "Well, I must go study for my biology exam. Good night, Mr. Nakano."

"Night."

"Take care of yourself and tell Mr. Shindou that I'm praying for him."

"I'll be sure to. Good luck on your exam."

"Thank you. I'll be seeing you."

"OK, see you."

In response, Ayaka giggles and the sound is music to Hiroshi's ears. "I really mean it this time. Bye."

"Bye." The other line goes dead and Hiroshi is floating on a cloud. Sure, he didn't talk to her about Mr. Yuki, which is a conversation that's long overdue, but he had a conversation with her all the same, though it was short-lived.

Hiroshi snaps his phone shut and slips it into his jean pocket. Then he folds his arms over his chest, pulling his jean jacket closer to his skin. It really is chilly out tonight.

Hiroshi decides to puff a cigarette before going back inside, keeping in mind that it's against hospital policy to smoke inside. He ambles over to a wooden bench and sits down, pondering the day. It started off well enough. He had a good nights' sleep and got to work on time, as did Shuichi, which was a rare occurrence. As unusual as it was, Shuichi had been cheerful enough with no hint of falsehood. Hiroshi figured he had a good night with Mr. Yuki, or that said man had been nice to him.

Instead of going back to Mr. Yuki's, Shuichi asked if he can stay the night at Hiro's. Being his best friend, Hiro said yes, but couldn't help asking why. Shuichi said that Mr. Yuki told him to because he had to work on his novel and he couldn't afford any distractions.

After work, they went back to Hiro's apartment, playing some video games while eating some chips, gulping and burping as they drank some soda. Then Shuichi went to go take a shower. In the meantime, Hiro practiced playing a tune on his acoustic guitar for a new ballad they were working on when all of a sudden, he heard a crash from the bathroom.

"Shuichi?!" He called, getting no answer. Afterward, he panicked, threw his guitar to the floor, and dashed to the restroom. He turned the knob to discover that it was locked, then he busted the door open with his foot.

The sight before him made his blood run cold. Shuichi was naked on his back, his head bleeding onto the edge of edge of the tub. The image had been burned into his mind so much so that he flinches. God, that scared the shit out of him. For a second, he thought that Shuichi was dead. Thank God, he wasn't. Hiroshi wouldn't know what he'd do if Shuichi had died.

"Yo, you hungry?" K asks, approaching Hiro with a few bags of Chinese take-out.

They go eat in the cafeteria that has high quality seating, which are sets of wooden chairs with maroon padding with matching tables. It's quite homely. Hiroshi and K settle at one of the tables and eat the string beans, meat, and brown rice that K bought. The food is still nice and warm and the water from the cafeteria is nice and cold.

K asks about Shuichi's condition and Hiroshi fills him in. K hums in dissatisfaction, stroking his chin. "This can cause problems."

Hiroshi nods. "You're right."

"Surely, the media will be all over this story once they get their hands on it. And the paparazzi will want to question Shuichi about this and the last thing he needs right now is a sea of cameras flashing in his face. He needs to recover and adjust to his life."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I'll arrange something. Leave it to me." K finishes his meal and excuses himself to go make a phone call.

Hiroshi sighs. Whatever K has planned, Hiroshi knows it'll be over the top.

* * *

A/N: This first chapter is dedicated to** bibbiesparks, **who reviewed on my first RyuShu story, _According to You_. Thank you so much, honey! Much love.

To those who haven't read my other story, this is a multi-chapted story. I've finished writing it, but I'm going to make some changes, and add some scenes.

Just out of curiousity, who likes the pairing of AyakaHiroshi? Personally, I like them. I think they're cute together, and it certainly helps that they can go on for hours talking to each other. I don't like the way they started their relationship. Having Ayaka say: "I'll go out with you if you sell a million copies" is shallow and hurtful in my opinion. You shouldn't date someone because of that, and you most certainly shouldn't propose such a deal if you're still in love with somebody else. I fail to see the logic in the deal. I can only guess that she told Hiroshi that because Eiri told her to or something.

Anyway, thank you all for reading, and please let me know what you thought of this chapter! :)


	2. Forbidden Crush

Shuichi stays overnight for observation. To his dismay, sleeping did nothing to shake the headache he had the night before. The nurse asks him if he wants any painkillers and he shakes his head. He's tired of feeling drowsy and lying around. He just wants to leave.

The nurse brings him a hearty breakfast of which he fully enjoys. Truth be told, it could've been cafeteria food and Shuichi would've vacuumed it all in, he was that hungry. After he eats, Dr. Masakazu gives him a series of tests that assure that Shuichi can be discharged from the hospital.

"All right!" Shuichi pumps a fist in the air and winces at the volume of his own voice, lowering his hand. "Uh, do you think you can get my friend Hiro for me?"

"Of course." The ardent doctor smiles and exits the room. Shuichi sees that he looks livelier today. His face isn't as pale and there's a certain bounce to his step, one that says he was born to be a neurologist. Shuichi can understand that passion. Everyone was born with a destiny, after all, and his is being a singer.

Which leads Shuichi to think: _Wow, I can't believe it. It's like I woke up one day and became a famous vocalist. Well, actually, that's what happened. On my part, anyway._

As happy as Shuichi I about it, he can't help but feel upset. Sure, he got the career he wanted, seemingly with little effort since he couldn't remember how he became so famous in the first place. He missed a part of the journey in that respect as well as other events like everyday things and holidays and birthdays.

He lost a chunk of his life.

"Morning, buddy!" Hiroshi opens the door, carrying a bag. "I went back to the apartment to pick these up for ya." He hands Shuichi the bag. It crinkles as Shuichi peers inside to see a neatly folded pair of jeans, black hoodie with black sneakers to the side of the clothes. "Listen, you gotta be quick in changing, ok? Our ride's gonna be here…" He trails off when what sounds like a helicopter could be heard. "Right now," he finishes, flatly.

"All right, all right." Shuichi goes into the restroom and sheds his hospital gown, glad to be back in his casual clothes once more. "I'm all done. Let's go." He says upon exiting the bathroom.

All of a sudden, the door to the room is kicked open, almost breaking it off its hinges. Shuichi gaps at the tall, blonde man in the doorway, at both the action of practically kicking the door in and having multiple guns as well as other weapons on the belt that's strapped about his waist.

_A terrorist? _He thinks in panic. His eyes narrow as he imagines the chaos that this bastard can cause inside this hospital, blowing up peoples' rooms, shooting people until they resembled Swiss cheese all for a reason. Revenge on one of the doctors for being unable to save his brother or wife or son or daughter or mother or father or maybe it was a dear friend. Whatever the reason, Shuichi will not allow him to exact his revenge.

Acting fast, Shuichi grabs a hold of the metal beam that had been holding his IV, and twirls it around as if it were a baton, maneuvering it around his back and over his shoulders; a preview of what he was capable of. "You will not have your way!" Shuichi shouts.

_Good,_ he grins in thought. _I got the asshole nice and scared. Now all I gotta do is beat him. _He advances on the creep, but before he can reach him, Hiroshi stands in between them.

"Dude, calm the hell down! He's not bad! He's that manager that I told you about yesterday." Hiroshi reminds him.

"Oh," Shuichi says, the malice he felt a minute prior being replaced by embarrassment. He sets his weapon back where it belongs. "Sorry about that. I have an overactive imagination."

"So I've noticed." K says, dryly. "Now, come on, get your ass up to the copter before we're followed."

They run to the elevator, which takes them to the floor below the roof. K leads them to where the helicopter is waiting, its propellers spinning at a speed that practically makes them invisible.

Shuichi is surprised that his eyes don't pop out of his skull. A helicopter came. Just to pick him up. That's a first. That and the fact that he's never been in one before. Or has he? He'll have to ask Hiro about it later.

"Quit gawking and get inside!" K pushes him and Shuichi has half a mind to kick his dick off, but Hiroshi intervenes before he can, gently guiding him into the helicopter and onto his seat.

_Wow, it's nice and comfy in here. _Shuichi thinks, the anger he had felt at his manager forgotten as he joins them inside and instructs the pilot to "move it". Then they're in the sky and Shuichi stares out the window_, _mesmerized by the view of the buildings from so high up. It's incredible.

Hiroshi smiles, seeing his friend take in the view, like a kid at the zoo. But then, he frowns when a thought hits him. This Shuichi isn't the present one, and he might never be ever again. This Shuichi is the high school singer who made mediocre songs that he thinks are genius, who failed every subject besides gym and music. A more immature and naïve version of Shuichi Shindou.

_I wonder if he'll be able to adjust to all of this, an accomplishment that's been erased from his memory. _Hiroshi ponders, worriedly.

It doesn't take long for them to reach their destination, which is NG Productions. As they descend onto the H circle atop the building, Shuichi marvels at being flown to the very building where Ryuichi Sakuma has walked, sung, talked, recorded, eaten, laughed, laughed, and everything else he did there. Shuichi gasps, joyously. He's waited for forever to meet his idol and today just might be the day that he does.

Damn it, he didn't have any Nittle Grasper merchandise on him for Ryuichi to sign. No matter. His skin will have to do. But wait. The signature would dissipate with enough showers. His shirt and shoes were out. They were too dark. Pants? Fuck no. That'd be too weird.

Paper. Perfect. It's a company building, after all. They're bound to have paper. Shuichi would ask Hiro or K to get it because asking Ryuichi to get it would be tantamount to spitting on a king's shoes. Simply isn't done.

The copter lands smoothly onto he landing pad. K thanks the pilot for the ride to which he replies. "Anytime. You know, us war buddies have to stick together." They fist-bump before K joins Shuichi and Hiroshi on the rooftop, waving his friend off as the helicopter ascends.

Shuichi doesn't know why Hiroshi has a protective arm around his shoulders or why he looks so serious.

"Why'd you bring us here, Mr. K?" Hiro asks.

"It'd be too showy for us to go back to your apartment. So I arranged for us to land here and for a car to come pick us up."

"But the media are bound to pick up on us, especially since we're here, of all places."

"Whoops. Guess I didn't think that one through." K says, but Hiro can tell that he's lying. K had all of this planned to a tee. He isn't careless enough to overlook anything important. Just what is he trying to do?

They head down the stairs and into the elevator, which they take to the first floor where Studio 2 is located. Hiro thinks he's beginning to understand what K is up to. He's trying to conjure up Shuichi's memories. A hasty move, in Hiroshi's opinion.

"Anything look familiar, Shuichi?" K asks.

_I knew it. _Hiroshi thinks.

"No." Shuichi replies, taking in his surroundings.

Wow. He's actually inside NG Productions. Walking down the halls that Ryuichi Sakuma has strode down countless times. It's amazing, seeing the plaques of Ryuichi on the muted walls. He runs his hand over a plaque, gazing at Ryuichi's picture. His hero, his idol. And much, much more. A god.

His voice rivals no other with its volatile range. He can sing any kind of song from J-Pop to J-Rock to a soft, piano solo. A voice that belongs among the angels. For years, Shuichi has practiced singing and copying Ryuichi's moves on stage in hopes of following in his idol's footsteps.

And it turns out that he did.

A little ways down the hall, Shuichi sees a plaque for Bad Luck, a nice picture too, its frame golden. Hiroshi is to the left, angling his guitar in an epic pose. Shuichi is in the middle, gripping a mic with one fingerless gloved hand, the other pointing towards the sky. To the right of him stands the kid Hiroshi told him about the day before; Suguru Fugisaki, cousin of Tohma Seguchi, professional keyboardist, the newest addition to Bad Luck.

_He looks pretty average, _Shuichi observes. He has short black hair with hazel eyes, looking more like a grade-schooler than a keyboard player. No one would think him to be a music prodigy. It made Shuichi kinda jealous that this Fugisaki kid achieved stardom at such a young age.

"Shuichi?"

Shuichi tenses and turns to see the owner of that voice. He doesn't get to see the person's face because that person tackles him with a hug. He tenses even more at the suddenness of the action. "Oh, my God! I'm so, so, so, so happy to see you! I really need your help. Kumagorou's lost! I don't know what happened. I was in the studio recording and the next thing I know, he's gone! Noriko said that he ran away from me because I'm so annoying. You don't think that's true, do you?"

Shuichi is incredulous. The hysterical mess in his arms pulls away and Shuichi sees that that hysterical mess is: "Mr. Sakuma." He breathes in excitement.

This has to be a dream. The great Ryuichi Sakuma is talking to him. Talking to him. Wait, not this isn't a dream. Shuichi can feel the scratch he just inflicted upon himself. And, with a trembling hand, he reaches out to feel Ryuichi's arm.

Holy shit. It's Ryuichi Sakuma. In the flesh. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Why can't Shuichi think of anything to say? But it's hard to think. Shuichi thinks that he's going into shock and his head feels light as his words twirl round and round in his mind.

The next thing he knows, he's on the floor with Ryuichi cradling him. Shuichi feels his face grow hot as he gazes up into Ryuichi's violet eyes. He's so dazzled. Seeing Ryuichi up close, he's even more handsome than he is on TV or on a poster.

"Shu, are you ok?" Ryuichi asks.

And Shuichi wonders how Ryuichi knows his name. So he asks him in a wavering voice. Ryuichi looks shocked when Shuichi asks as if he told him that the Earth is going to be sucked into a black hole. His stunned, horrified makes Shuichi even more confused.

Hiroshi assists Shuichi in getting to his feet, and K does the same with Ryuichi, who still appears to be shell-shocked. Shuichi's heart swells for him.

"Ryuichi, get a hold of yourself, and come with me. We need to have a conversation." K says, leading him to the end of the hall.

Shuichi blinks up at Hiroshi. "What was that all about?"

As Hiroshi explains to him his relationship with Ryuichi, K is at the end of the hall explaining Shuichi's amnesia to Ryuichi. Both men are surprised, but in different ways. Shuichi is in awe that he managed to obtain such a close friendship with Ryuichi. Meanwhile, Ryuichi is reacting like he just lost his best friend, which he had, in a way. K is truly sympathetic with Ryuichi. The Shuichi that he knew was gone and time will tell how different this Shuichi is from the one prior to the accident.

"What do you mean? Does this mean that Shuichi won't be my friend anymore?" Ryuichi asks, failing to grasp reality, like a fisherman with a slippery fish.

"Rest assured, Ryuichi, Shuichi will always be willing to be your friend. You just can't be too reckless, glomping him like that. He just got out of the hospital and his injury is still healing."

"Right. I'll be more careful."

K has worked with Ryuichi for a long time. He's used to all of his silly antics, but one thing that always surprises him is how Ryuichi can be childish one minute and then get all adult on him the next. It's as if he has a split personality: one half a child, the other an adult.

"One more thing, Ryuichi. I don't want you being too careless with your emotions around Shuichi. To the public's knowledge, he's still together with Eiri Yuki, and it'd look bad if he was painted as a cheat."

"I understand."

"All right then. Let's get back to Shuichi and Hiro. And please try to control yourself."

Ryuichi nods. As they meet Shuichi and Hiroshi in the middle of the hall, he thinks. _Where is Eiri Yuki at a time like this? If he really loved Shu, he'd be here with him, supporting him, helping him piece his life back together. _

For a while, he's held a grudge towards this Yuki guy Shuichi spent so much time gushing over. And it proved to be difficult, minding his own business when Shuichi just sat back and let Yuki terrorize his heart again and again. For his sake, as well as Shu's, he had stayed out of it. For one thing, he knew confessing his feelings for Shuichi wouldn't help his love life any. Shuichi was real devoted to Yuki, and saying he loved Shuichi wouldn't make Shuichi his. Besides, it probably would've made Shuichi's situation worse, adding to a pile of complications in his life that could fill a whole studio.

And, unlike that grateful bastard, the last thing Ryuichi wants to do is cause trouble for Shuichi.

"Hey." Ryuichi starts, sheepishly. "Sorry about tackling you like that. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, no. I'm ok. I just got so excited at seeing you, I got a little dizzy is all." Shuichi tries to reassure him, but Ryuichi is still wearing a sad face.

Ryuichi manages a small smile. "That's good. I'm glad you're all right." He hopes he doesn't look to upset. It's not Shuichi's fault that all of the memories flew out of his head. It's only natural that Shuichi only sees him as an infamous rockstar. Right now, in Shuichi's brain, this is their first meeting.

"Mr. Sakuma, Hiro told me that we were really good friends. I was wondering," Shuichi can't help but feel a bit shy. To anyone else, this would be too forward, but this isn't just anyone. This is Ryuichi Sakuma, who according to Hiro, had been real close to him. "You think we can work back to that point again?"

"Of course." Ryuichi says, his smile becoming sunnier at the question.

_God, Shu, I'd do anything for you. _He thinks.

With that said, all traces of shyness are gone and Shuichi is all smiles. "Awesome! We should get together and do something soon."

"I'm looking forward to it!"

"As much as I hate to end such a touching moment, we have to go." K says with urgency. "I've got a guy a few blocks away that's spotted some paparazzi."

"I'll be seeing you." Ryuichi smiles. Shuichi returns the smile and waves as K whisks him off to the Mercedes car parked out front. The windows are tinted, a nice touch to elude the paparazzi."

K gets in the front seat while Hiroshi and Shuichi settle in the back seat. Immediately, the driver hits the road. He's another friend of K's, it turns out, because they immerse themselves in a conversation about the good, old days.

"Hiro, are you sure that…?" Shuichi trails off, licking his lips. He feels a blush creep up in his cheeks and ears. He really doesn't want to flatter himself with the idea, but he just has a feeling…

"Am I sure about what?"

"That Mr. Sakuma and I weren't…you know…involved?"

Hiroshi's eyes go wide and then he chuckles.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Sounds like you got a crush on Mr. Sakuma."

Shuichi gives Hiro a shove. "Oh, shut up."

Hiroshi lets out another bout of laughter. "I'm right, aren't I? You like Mr. Sakuma." He pokes Shuichi in the arm, repeatedly.

In Hiroshi's opinion, this is unfolding perfectly. With things heading in this direction, Shuichi and Ryuichi are bound to become a couple.

There's just one thing that had to be settled first. Hiroshi needs to get into contact with Mr. Yuki and talk to him about this. And instead of calling, since that didn't work out last time – the asshole doesn't know how to answer a phone – Hiroshi plans on giving him a house call. For Shuichi's sake.

_He needs a fresh start with someone who's not afraid to show that he cares and Mr. Sakuma is just that person._ Hiroshi thinks.

* * *

A/N: So here's chapter 2. :) Shuichi has quite the crush on Ryuichi, and vice versa. Hiroshi is going to talk to Eiri about this. How will he react? Stay tuned! Thank you for reading and please leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter!

**Catalina Luna Moon:** Thank you so much, sweetie! So glad you like the story so far, and that you loved _According to You_. :D


	3. Who I Was Then and Who I Am Now

Shuichi sits in the living room of the apartment that he and Hiroshi share, watching videos of Bad Luck's performances. He's completely blown away. This sound – it's much more improved than the music he made back in high school with Hiro, which is funny to think when it feels like he was back in school just yesterday, getting scolded for tardiness and poor grades.

The Rage Beat. Blind Game Again. Glaring Dream. All of these songs – Shuichi wrote the lyrics to them and sung them wonderfully. Obviously, he had practiced his vocals more over the years. He's reached an outstanding level.

Tears roll down his cheeks. He becomes more and more choked up with each song he sees. He did it. He made his dream come true. All of those years of creating and tweaking tunes on his synthesizer, and working on his range had paid off.

He smiles and swipes his tears away with his sleeve, giving a watery laugh. "We did it." Shuichi whispers to himself.

* * *

"Hmm, this is quite unusual." Kanna muses, looking over the manuscript that Mr. Yuki gave her. The title of the piece is Misgivings, which is a tale of a tragic heroine named Hikari, who sacrificed herself in order to save her lover's life. In the past, Mr. Yuki has written novels about love and death, but this one is different. It seems to be a bit more on the sentimental side.

Eiri glares at Mizuki, who's seated on the chair opposite his. He's busted his ass typing up that story for over a month, pulling all-nighters, getting high off caffeine, and doing research – not to mention, he's been lazing about in boredom waiting for her to finish scanning through the damn thing – just to be told that.

"How so?" He asks, coldly.

As usual, Mizuki isn't daunted by his iciness. She just smiles it off like she always does. How irritating.

"The heroine hasn't been betrayed by her lover and her death isn't as gruesome as the other deaths you have written." Kanna points out. Perhaps this meant that things were looking up for Mr. Yuki?

Eiri chuckles, darkly. "Would you prefer a huge bloodbath instead of what is presented?"

"Not at all. Just making an observation. I take it that things are more stable in your life?"

"Don't make such stupid assumptions based on what you've read. Fiction is fiction."

"I suppose you're right." Her smile expands. "In any case, I congratulate you on another job well done." She gets up and straightens out her skirt. "I'm looking forward to your next novel."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just leave already." Eiri growls. He doesn't care for all of this polite shit. Aside from that, he's tired as fuck and has to catch up on some sleep.

"Take care." Mizuki says before she heads to the door, the manuscript tucked underneath her arm. He slips on her heels and exits the condo to see a familiar man approaching. He's that guy in the band Bad Luck with Mr. Shindou. Hiroshi Nakano.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Nakano." She greets, amiably, giving a slight bow of the head.

Hiroshi returns the gesture, recognizing her as Kanna Mizuki, Mr. Yuki's editor. "Good afternoon" He says, just as friendly.

"You here to see Mr. Yuki?"

"Yeah."

"I advise you to take it easy on him. He just pulled another all-nighter and he's very cranky."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Mr. Mizuki walks by him, her heels clacking. Once she's out of sight, the smile slips off his face. Shit. Turns out he caught Mr. Yuki at a bad time. There's no telling if he'll listen to Hiroshi's reasoning. But now's as good a time as any. That bastard was hardly ever in a good mood. Why should this time be any different?

He takes a deep breath and raps his knuckles on the door. No answer. A corner of Hiro's mouth is tugged downward. Could he be ignoring him or has he crashed? Hiroshi knocks again, louder this time.

He hears a loud groan come from inside before the door is yanked open. "What the hell do you want?" Eiri growls. He was just getting comfortable on the couch when the incessant knocking started. God, he doesn't need this shit right now – whatever that shit may be. He just needs sleep, damn it!

"I can see you're much more of a curmudgeon than usual so I'll get to the point. As soon as you can, tell the press that you and Shuichi are through." Hiroshi says, standing his ground. He doesn't give a crap how grumpy Mr. Yuki is. All he cares about is ensuring that Mr. Yuki will do this.

Eiri grins. "What nerve you have, demanding this of me."

"What are you talking about? I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to do this."

"Really now? You thought wrong."

Mr. Yuki is about to slam the door in his face, but Hiroshi steps forward, using his hand and foot to keep the door ajar. "Haven't you had enough?" Hiroshi snarls. "Shuichi actually has a chance at true happiness now without you in the picture. Don't you dare ruin that for him."

Eiri's brows knit in curiosity. "What do you mean by true happiness?"

"Oh, you care about Shuichi, all of a sudden?" Hiroshi laughs, mirthlessly. "Don't make me laugh. He's not yours anymore, Mr. Yuki, and he won't be yours ever again. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Before Eiri can think, he lunges at Hiroshi's collar. Hiroshi grunts in surprise and glowers at him. "Who is Shuichi involved with?" He asks, grounding each word out.

* * *

K peers through his binoculars, seeing the cars down below. He agreed to watch Shuichi in Hiroshi's place. And during this time, he's decided to be productive by calling Suguru over to re-introduce him to Shuichi. The sooner Shuichi gets back in the swing of things, the better. They can't hide away from the media forever.

A taxi pulls up in front of the building and K sees a person in a hat come out. Then he knows it's Fugisaki when he does the signal: patting his head three times. K puts the binoculars down and joins Shuichi in the living room. He smiles when he sees that Shuichi is watching recent Bad Luck concerts as well as music videos. Excellent. Great progress is being made today.

He stands to the side of Shuichi, whose eyes are still glued to the TV. "I must warn you now, Shuichi, as great as this life is, it can also be really overwhelming. Your life is on display for the world to see and while fans will be sympathetic with your situation, they'll still expect the best out of you. But I also want you to know that I'll do my best to assist you in any way that I can. Surely, the same can be said for Hiro, and even Fugisaki."

Shuichi smirks. "I appreciate the concern, Mr. K, but I think I can handle the pressure. I can hardly wait to perform in front of an audience again, and it makes me ecstatic that the audiences will be a whole lot bigger than they were in high school."

K ruffles Shuichi's head, affectionately. "Some things never change. Your self-confidence is still intact."

The doorbell rings and K lets Fugisaki inside. Once the door is closed, Fugisaki takes off the hat as well as the sunglasses that K lent him, giving them back to the owner.

"How's he doing?" Suguru asks, slipping his shoes off before padding into the apartment.

"He's doing well. He's in the living room, watching Bad Luck videos." K leads Fugisaki there.

Shuichi stands up once he sees Fugisaki.

"Hello, Mr. Shindou. It's good to see that you're alive and well."

"Thanks. And hey, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Shuichi."

Fugisaki gives him an odd look. Then Shuichi remembers that he's older now. He's five years this kid's senior.

He's not in high school anymore.

"Oh, um, sorry about that. I just…"

"There's no need for an apology, Mr. Shindou. I can only imagine how hard this is for you."

There's a long, awkward silence. It's not easy talking to this kid. Then again, Hiro did say that he and Fugisaki were often butting heads, and didn't share a close relationship like he did with Mr. Sakuma.

K coughs, pulling Shuichi out of his head. "I'll go make some tea. That ought to loosen the tension a bit."

* * *

Ryuichi takes a gulp from his water bottle, having just completed a recording for his next CD, _River Eyes_. The last minute song added to the CD was called _Forest of the Forgotten_, a song he wrote last night. His run-in with Shuichi has really shaken him. It scared him when he heard that Shuichi bumped his head.

Bumps on the head can be fatal, even after the fact. After he got a concussion one time for falling down the stairs, K told him that he'd be more prone to serious head injuries if he weren't careful. He should've told K to wrap Shuichi's head with pillows. That'd be helpful in breaking any and all falls that Shuichi might have.

"What's wrong, Ryuichi?" Tohma asks.

"Hmm, Kumagorou is safe and sound, thanks to Noriko, but…" Ryuichi trails off, holding Kumagorou's soft, furry body close to his chest.

Noriko gives an irritated sigh. By the looks of it, Ryuichi is on the verge of tears, and the last thing she wants to deal with right now is his waterworks. "Just come out with it already!"

_Guess it was too much to ask for one day without Ryuichi's dramatics. _She thinks.

"Noriko," he whines. "Why are you yelling at me? You're so mean!"

She crosses her arms over her chest and frowns, feeling guilty for her outburst. Noriko has been feeling exasperated all day, and as much fun as being in the band in, she's had enough of Ryuichi's childish antics. It's like she came to work to babysit, and on most days, she can tolerate it, but not today.

"Sorry. I got cramps." Noriko admits without embarrassment nor shame. She's a woman. It's only natural that she gets her period.

"Cramps?" Ryuichi echoes. He got those whenever he ran too much or stretched the wrong way. Those hurt real bad. It's a good thing K taught him how to overcome cramps. He sets Kumagorou atop his head and jogs over to Noriko, taking her by the hand, ready to assist her. "Walk it off and it'll go away. I know it hurts so squeeze my hand whenever you feel pain, ok?"

Tohma laughs. Ryuichi's obliviousness can be quite endearing from time to time.

"I'm not suffering from those kinds of cramps, you idiot." Noriko retorts. She should've known. Of course, Tohma would know what kinds of cramps she meant. He had a wife, after all. Ryuichi, on the other hand, had the brain of a five year old.

"Really? What other kinds of cramps are there?"

"Ugh, never mind that! Just tell us what your deal is."

"I really, really miss Shuichi and I'm really worried about him! He hit his head, you know!"

"Yeah, I know. That's the only reason why he's able to put up with you."

"Noriko, I'm being serious! He had to go to the hospital because he got a bad concussion and now he has amnesia."

Noriko and Tohma are surprised. In that case, it's no wonder why Bad Luck hasn't shown up at NG for the past three days. Three days prior, K had told Tohma that Bad Luck will be taking the week off as vacation time. However, he did not specify as to why they were. _This must be why. _Tohma thinks.

"Damn, that's horrible." Noriko says, sympathetic.

"How much has he forgotten?" Tohma wonders.

"K told me that his memories only go as far as his sophomore year in high school."

"Hmm…this proves to be a double-edged sword."

"A double-edged sword?" Noriko repeats, befuddled.

"How so?" Ryuichi asks, seriously. Tohma can't possibly mean that Shuichi getting hurt was a good thing. Can he?

"Pardon me for thinking out loud. Let's continue our session, shall we?" Tohma smiles.

* * *

It's strange. Eiri can't stop thinking about what Hiroshi told him; how Shuichi has a thing for Sakuma now. He tries to convince himself that this is beneficial for him. That Shuichi always bothered the hell out of him.

But a nagging thought keeps resurfacing again and again, no matter how hard he tries to push it down. Eiri doesn't want Shuichi to be with Sakuma. He wants Shuichi to come back to him.

Eiri grits his teeth as he drives, resisting the urge to slam his foot on the gas. He'd rather avoid an accident and a trip to the hospital. He has some business with Sakuma to take care of.

He parks his car in front of NG, and slams the car door shut, stalking towards the entrance. The doorman blocks his way and reproaches him. "You can't park there, sir!"

Eiri juts his keys at the guy and reaches into his wallet for a fifty, handing it to the doorman. "Park it for me." He says, leaving no room for argument.

As expected, the doorman's brown eyes glisten with greed. "Of course, sir."

Eiri storms into the building, remembering that Nittle Grasper records in Studio 10. Without knocking, he barges into the room. Ukai, Seguchi, and Sakuma all turn to him, surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Eiri, what are you doing here?" Tohma asks. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah. Sakuma," Eiri barks, causing him to jump. For a minute, he glares at Sakuma, and second thoughts rise. He might want Shuichi back. But what about Shuichi? What does he want? "If I find out that you pressured him into anything, I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you. Are we clear?"

Ryuichi glowers. "I'm not like you."

Eiri's eyes narrow. "Don't get cocky. You can't have him so easily."

"You're talking about Mr. Shindou." Tohma realizes. "But Eiri, he doesn't remember you. Your life will be better without him."

"Shut up!" Tohma flinches. "Don't tell me what will make my life better. You don't know me."

"Where is this coming from, Eiri? How can you say that after all we've been through?"

"Stop with all of the sentimental crap, Seguchi."

"Yuki," Ryuichi starts, earning the man's scowl. "Mark my words. If you pressure him back into your life, I will show no mercy."

"Heh, I'd like to see you try." Eiri sneers.

"Eiri, stop this!" Tohma demands.

Ryuichi's blood is spiking at the challenge. He tries to contain himself, but he's about to explode, and he's about to launch himself at Yuki and strangle him. Noriko jumps to hold him back. Ryuichi struggles to break free from her hold, just rearing to go.

"I will not let you make him miserable again." Ryuichi spats.

Eiri snorts, and turns to leave. Tohma takes him by the arm. "Think about what you're doing, Eiri. Diving back into any relationship, whether it be with Mr. Shindou or not, is unwise. You still have more healing to do." He urges.

Eiri shrugs him off and leaves.

"Eiri?" Tohma calls out, but he's ignored. His heart sinks in his chest. He can't believe how fickle Eiri can be about his feelings in regards to Mr. Shindou. One minute the love is there, the next minute that love turns into hate. Even now, after all of these years, Eiri still hasn't reconnected with himself. He's still grappling, fighting a war of contradictions within himself, and it pains Tohma to witness such a struggle.

More than anything, he wants Eiri to be happy, free from the demons of his past.

* * *

Hiroshi returns home, feeling foolish. It turned out that his demands of Mr. Yuki didn't pan through as well as he hoped they would. He really can't figure out that guy. First, he doesn't want to have anything to do with Shuichi, and then he does a complete 180 and wants him back? No, it doesn't work that way. Hiroshi refuses to allow Mr. Yuki to treat Shuichi like some cheap whore any longer.

He takes off his shoes and heads to the living room where Shuichi is watching videos of them back in high school. The tape he's watching now is of when they performed at prom. Hiroshi's older brother, Yuji, had helped them with their instruments by driving them to and from prom in his van. Yuji also taped this performance as well as other events during prom – like when they had professional pictures taken, when Hiroshi danced with his date Emiko, and when they were goofing around in and out of the van.

"Hey, Hiro, where have you been?" Shuichi asks, a pocky stick in his mouth.

"Just went to have lunch with my brother." Hiroshi lies.

"Really? Why couldn't he come over here and have lunch with the both of us?"

"He's on break right now at his job and he couldn't travel all the way over here. He works at that downtown Sushi place, you know."

"You couldn't have brought me along?"

"Shuichi, I don't think it would have been good for you to ride on my motorcycle. Besides, you have to rest, and stay out of the public eye until you're fully recovered. There's no telling when fans will come out at you. In fact, I ran into a few of them myself. They were a couple of school girls. From Motomishi High, I think."

"Ooh, looks like you're still popular with the ladies, huh?"

Hiroshi chuckles and gets a coke from the mini-fridge that stands atop the table in the corner, getting one for Shuichi too. Then he plops down on the couch beside Shuichi, handing him the cold can, receiving immediate thanks. "I have a girlfriend, you know." Hiroshi grins.

Shuichi elbows him, slyly. "Good going. What's her name? What's she like?"

Dreamily, Hiroshi goes on and on about Ayaka Usami, telling Shuichi all there is to know about her. Well, expect the fact that she was Eiri Yuki's fiancé at one point, not like Shuichi would know who that is.

Shuichi remains silent after Hiroshi's ardent elaboration. It seems like they've really found a place in the world – he and Hiroshi. But he can't help but feel a missing link in all of this – those being his memories.

Shuichi strokes the chilled can of the coke with his thumb, staring at the rim. "Tell me something, Hiro. Have I changed over the years?"

Hiroshi takes a moment to think over his answer. "In some ways. You're much happier now, that's for sure. I remember what you told me on our first day of recording. You said that you were happy to be rid of that shitty job you had as a busboy."

Shuichi gives a hearty laugh.

"I know that you're much closer with your family now. I guess it's as the saying goes: distance makes the heart grow fonder. Mostly, though, you're the same hard-working, passionate guy that you've always been."

Shuichi gives him a bright smile. "Thank you, Hiro."

"For what?"

"For making me feel better. I guess I was afraid that I'd disappoint everyone if I was too different, you know what I'm saying?"

_So that's what that frown was about. _Hiroshi thinks.

He flicks Shuichi's forehead. "Don't be stupid. You're not disappointing anybody. So don't worry about what you can't remember. No matter how much you forget, you still have the gravitational pull that you've always had. Just be yourself and you'll be fine."

* * *

**Shadowfox13: **Yuki is gonna do something, but certainly not with his big boy pants on. Rest assured, Ryuichi is gonna win Shuichi this time around. Yeah, I wanted to do something different with an amnesia-based storyline. :)

**Guest: **THAT I SHALL. :D

**CreCra: **Thank you so much, sweetie! So glad that you're enjoying the story so far. :)


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